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Fire at popular nightclub kills 23 people
07th December, 2025 06:30 AM
At least 23 people, including tourists, were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, the state’s chief minister said Sunday, December 7, 2025.
The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora in North Goa, a party hub.
Goa’s chief minister, Pramod Sawant, said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists.
The fire occurred due to a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. All the bodies have been recovered.
Sawant said the state government will conduct an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed.
The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people,” Sawant wrote on X. “I visited the incident site and have ordered an inquiry into this incident,” he said. “Those found responsible will face the most stringent action under the law – any negligence will be dealt with firmly.”
Videos on social media showed fire trucks and ambulances lining up to help the injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, as authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control, Indian news agency ANI reported.
Most of the victims succumbed to burn injuries, and others died due to suffocation, PTI reported, citing the chief minister.
An inquiry has been ordered to “examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed,” Sawant said.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the fire was “deeply saddening.”
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones,” he said on X.
“May the injured recover at the earliest.”
The minister expressed his deep grief and offered his condolences to the bereaved families. Sawant told journalists at the scene that “three to four” tourists had died. Three people died from burn injuries, while the others died from suffocation, he said.
Goa, a former Portuguese colony on the shores of the Arabian Sea, attracts millions of tourists every year with its vibrant nightlife, stunning sandy beaches, and laid-back coastal atmosphere. But fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations.
Local media, citing police officials, say the fire was suspected to have been started by a “cylinder blast” but added that further investigation was required.
